Heading out SMEs to the e-commerce highway

Abstract

The contemporary business environment, characterized by high levels of dynamism, turbulence, and uncertainty, has forced companies to re-evaluate traditional models of commerce and make a shift towards Internet-based e-commerce models. Since the perception of usefulness determines the firm’s willingness to adopt e-commerce, this study strives to explore the contributing factors among SMEs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A survey of 154 SME managers/owners was conducted, to identify variables that are key drivers of perceived usefulness. The findings revealed that the strategic management benefits, compatibility, and external pressures are the key predictors of perceived usefulness. This study also shows that the perceived usefulness of e-commerce is higher, if companies belonging to the same industry, or the same business network, have already adopted this business model. These findings strengthen the idea of the enterprise bandwagon effect. Compared to the newer and younger firms, the results also indicate that mature firms tend to have higher perceived usefulness of e-commerce.